Into the Light
by YiffyOne
Summary: What would happen to the face of the galaxy had Anakin trusted his feelings, and never turned to the dark side? Alternate universe where a single decision is different, yet changes the story completely. Anakin's POV
1. The Gray Jedi

"Into the Light" Chapter 1: "The Gray Jedi" 

What did it mean to be a Jedi?

This was a question I'd answered many times before, but every time I answered, I felt the emptiness in the Force, the emptiness that told me I knew nothing.

Time and time again I found the hardest answers in the universe came from the simplest of questions.

What did it mean to hold a lightsaber? What did it mean to be connected to the Force so intimately?

Why was the line between the light and the dark so thin?

I was confused. So many times was I told that confusion led to the dark side.

Many things led to the dark side… Mainly emotions. I was always a man driven by emotions.

Attachment, jealousy, anger, frustration, fear, confusion, sadness, pain, all of them led to the dark side. My greatest fear was… I had all of these things and more, ever boiling within me.

Everything I was led to the dark side of the Force. It seemed so… inevitable.

I was dangling above the dark, fiery pit of shadows, by a mere thread. The only thing that kept me from falling was fear, fear that I'd lose my power. Fear that my loved ones would die. Fear that I'd do something horrible, like I did when I found out about the tragedy that had befallen my mother.

I was afraid to fall.

Fear above all else, I was told, led to the dark side. And it scared me even more.

There was one statement I heard from the Masters of the Jedi Order more than anything else:

"I sense great fear in you, young Skywalker."

I knew it was true. I was driven by the things that drove my enemies, that drove the Sith. The things that fueled the dark side fueled my power. I often wondered how I had not already fallen to the darkness, how I managed to retain the tiny flicker of light that remained in my soul.

Padme… She kept me in the light. It was her love. What would she think of me if I turned to the dark side? It was out of the question!

The Jedi said that attachment led to the dark side, but the Jedi also taught me that all things in the universe come with exceptions. This was one of them. It _had_ to be! This attachment was all that KEPT me from the dark side.

But now that fell apart. As soon as I'd found a foundation to stand on in my view of the Force, I found it crumbling at my feet, leaving only the shadowy flames below.

I had a decision to make, and I was half-and-half. It was the kind of decision so close, you have to force yourself to answer it, or it would never be decided.

No… it would decide _itself_.

And either way, you end up regretting the decision you didn't make.

Regret led to the dark side… almost everything led to the dark side, because we lived in an era of sin, and of overwhelming evil.

Now the question lay before me: What was most important to me?

Obi-Wan once told me that there came a time in every man's life when he had to decide for himself what things were most important to him. He told me to choose carefully, and have patience. He told me that if I chose the wrong things, I'd cling to them till death, and they'd destroy me.

I chose Padme. I chose marriage. I chose attachment…

…Did I choose the dark side?

No, I _couldn't_ have… Could I? No, not darkness. Not light, either. I was at the forked intersection _between_ the two paths, I could feel it.

I had to choose a path, or remain in this state of mental torment for all eternity.

And I didn't know which path led where. But there was a question, one I couldn't decide…

What was more important to me, Padme's love, or Padme's life?

I was presented with a proposition from my dear and beloved 'friend', Chancellor Palpatine. The Sith Lord, Darth Sidious.

Why did it seem so enticing?

The Jedi, Master Yoda in particular warned us that at times, the dark side would try to lure us in by baiting us with things we wanted. Things we were attached to. He warned us that any attachment we retained would be used against us.

Deception was the way of the dark side, he told us.

I knew so much of what led to the dark side, but nothing about the dark side itself. Only that I was supposed to stay away from it. And now the Force had once again presented me with a choice between two things. I could only have one, but I wanted both.

I hated the Force for making me choose between two pieces of the same puzzle.

Hate leads to the dark side… No path that _I_ knew of _didn't_.

Damn _both_ sides of the cursed Force. Damn them BOTH! Damn them for manipulating me, manipulating all of us. Damn them that I ever fell in love. Damn them that I ever became a Jedi. Damn them that I ever left Tatooine. Damn them for ruining my life more times than once.

And suddenly…

I now knew why it was called 'the Force'.

Because it was so very, very forceful.

"You must chooooose…" Wheezed the dark side.

So there I stood, unable to decide. I sat on the fence between the path that led to black, and the path that led to white. I was a Gray Jedi, neither dark nor light, but stuck in the middle.

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" Mace begged, assaulted by the mighty power of Palpatine's Force Storm. The only thing that separated the respectable Master from certain death was a violet bar of light.

The lightsaber couldn't withstand the heat for long. At this rate, the emitter would overheat and that would cause the power cell to overload, and the weapon would explode.

"D…Don't let him… kill me…!" The darkness pleaded me.

I watched as the face of the Sith Lord deformed, withered, and wrinkled into an utterly disgusting prune of hideousness. The eyes of the chancellor were the most blood curdling shade of canary yellow I'd ever seen. A piercing, pus-like yellow enough to make one of a weaker constitution physically sick.

His appearance appalled me, but I could not bring myself to decide… I wasn't ready!

I needed more time!

"I… I can't…can't hold it any longer…" He breathed, mighty bolts still cascading from his fingertips, "I, I-I, I…I can't…v'… become… wea-… too weak…" He gasped.

And when the Force stopped flowing, my time was up. The thunder storm was over. Decide now, Anakin. You must decide, whether you're ready or not. No time for patience. No time to meditate. So choose.

…_I can't!_

"Anakin! Help me, help me!" The darkness pled.

I didn't know Master Windu was so powerful in the Force. I thought for sure the fountains of energy that arced radically from Palpatine's grungy paws would have destroyed his lightsaber, but the Master still stood, blade of light in hand, ready to rend the specter of darkness asunder. Ready to cast justice upon the Council's enemy…

Ready to force my decision.

NO. I would _not_ let him. I _had_ to have more time!

Too poor an example of light was provided to represent the Jedi. I did not like Master Mace Windu… I never did. Of all the Masters, he was one I held in the lowest esteems. I felt this way because he was the one that turned more than half the council against me.

He was so very rude to me. He didn't respect the prophecy, nor the things I was supposed to do. He did everything he could to hold me back….

It was he who had spoken to delay my rising to the status of Master.

He was jealous!

And it infuriated me… How the only way he ever looked at me was a brooding sense of mistrust. How he never spoke to me with the same friendliness in his voice as the other Masters, how he always doubted my abilities, when they could easily match his…

Overconfidence leads to the dark side of the Force. Anger leads to the dark side… Indecision leads to the dark side… Damn it all!

Why did the Jedi never tell me what led to the LIGHT side?

If I were forced to choose between HIM and Padme, I'd choose darkness without hesitation, maybe even without regret. I was absolutely sure… That I'd strike him down before I'd let him take away the only thing that was going to save my love. _Absolutely_ sure.

"_Only Sith deal in absolutes." _Obi-Wan once told me.

The Sith lord, the man whom told me he knew how to obtain the power to save my love from certain death lay on the ground, his body smoking like it had been cooked in a hyperbake oven, and for a few minutes too long. The black, carbon-like matter floated into the air, creating a smell more repulsive than the back end of a bantha.

It smelled like sulfer, brimstone, and darkness.

It was so clear to me, what I needed to do to go to the dark side, to place my loyalties in the eddying shadows of evil. It would have been so very easy… To just let go and sell my soul to the darkness, and let my agony be at an end.

But it was like there WAS no other choice. The light side… where was the light side?

The Jedi teachings never included anything about a 'light side' of the Force. They only warned us of the dark side... but if there is a dark side, surely there is one of light? One to contrast, to cancel it out?

A force to bring balance to the Force?

Confusion leads to the dark side…

Suddenly I realized that the Force was nothing like a math equation. In the Force, positives didn't cancel out the negatives. Equal amounts of negative and positive wouldn't create zero… Choosing to be the positive in a world consumed by darkness wouldn't bring the 'balance' the prophecy spoke of.

…So what would?

Negatives stacked up, but they didn't create positives in pairs. Two wrongs didn't make a right. Two evils didn't make a justice. They only accumulated and made blackness blacker than it ever was, and darkness became darker than I thought possible.

If the Force was like a game of Pazaak, then I almost always drew the wrong cards.

I was beginning to suspect it was because I had nothing but negatives in my side deck.

And my but if the dilemma I was in didn't look an awful lot like a high-stakes game of Pazaak.

I was at the Pazaak table in my mind, and I totaled out 21 in the third set, a bust. In my hand I had a plus one/minus one card. The object I was gambling in this game was no great deal of credits, but the life of my beloved wife. I could go negative, and win. She would be saved.

Or I could fold or lay it down positive. I would win nothing. I would lose everything.

But if Padme found out I had gambled her, even if I won, she'd hate me for it. Both pathways led to sadness.

Sadness leads to the dark side.

Indecision leads to the dark side.

Frustration, anxiety, and emotional torment lead to the dark side.

"I… I can't hold on… any longer…" The Chancellor whispered. Mace took a threatening step toward the crumpled pile of wrinkles, lightsaber extended warily in front of him.

"I am going to end this once and for all." He declared. Distress gripped me.

If Mace Windu ends Chancellor Palpatine, then I'll never save Padme! I don't want her do die… I can't live without her! I… More time! I need more time!

"You can't!" I breathed, sweating.


	2. Darkness Beckons

"Into the Light" Chapter 2: "Darkness Beckons" 

I found myself staring into the eyes of a man who did not trust me in the slightest bit.

And I suppose it was rightly so, seeing that I was teetering on the edge of drawing my blade and beheading him.

"He must stand trial!" I said, adamantly. Mace alternated from watching Palpatine and myself with wary, wild eyes. He did not seem to know which one posed more of a threat to him, and was trying to watch us both carefully.

"He has control of the Senate _and_ the courts! He's too dangerous to be left alive!" The Master insisted. This wasn't good. I could not allow him to kill Palpatine… I… I didn't know what to do!

"I'm too weak! Oh… Don't kill me! Please…" Begged the envoy of darkness… And I couldn't help but feel deep pity for his weakened, defenseless state.

"It's not the Jedi way!" I pointed out, hoping to convince Master Windu, "He _must _live!"

I began hyperventilating. I could feel my decision coming to a close, and I did not know what it was going to be. It would all depend on Master Windu at this point, and the malice, the firm intent on destroying his enemy plastered itself to his face, and he began to sort of cock his head threateningly.

…He was going to attack. Palpatine's horrifying, pleading yellow eyes shrunk. He saw it too.

"Please don't…!" He pled.

He didn't stop, and he raised his lightsaber… NO! I didn't want to turn to the darkness! I didn't WANT to kill Master Windu! I couldn't!

Padme, why did it have to be for Padme!

"I _need _him!" I said, feeling tears burn their way out of the ducts of my eyes. They were tears of stress. Stress at what I would have to do if Master Windu swung that lightsaber.

"P-! Please don't!" Palpatine begged one last time.

And Windu let out a battle cry…

Time froze. It was time to make my decision. I would live a life of darkness to save the one I love, or I'd allow her to die. If she died… at least she'd die loving me. Knowing I'd done what I thought was right.

But if I save her, would she hate me? Yes, I know she would. I know what the darkness wanted of me. It wanted my ability to kill. It wanted me to slay all my brethren. Wanted me to destroy everything I loved, save for the one—the most crucial thing in my life—Padme. Everything I cared about was the price for her life… Including her love for me.

I had to decide. I had to decide…

I was the Chosen One. It was my destiny to bring balance to the Force… Was the prophecy wrong? Did my true destiny lie in letting the Council down…?

…Letting Obi-Wan down…?

…Letting… _myself_ down?

I remembered the first thing Obi-Wan said to me when I first began training under him as a padawan learner. It rung clear in my soul, like the precious final words of a long lost ally:

"Listen to your feelings, Anakin, and you will become the greatest of all Jedi Knights. Know that the Force is always with you, and that with it, you can do anything. There are no limits on the Force. And I believe in you, that is why I'm going to train you, teach you everything I know… So you can better it."

And for the first time in my life, I asked myself: What would Obi-Wan do…?

I felt it inside me for that one frozen moment in time. I felt the answer. I knew that Obi-Wan would trust in his feelings. He was always telling me to trust my feelings.

So that's what I did. I didn't listen to my emotions, or the Force, or anything like that.

I listened to my feelings. My intuition. What Obi-Wan trained me to do.

And finally, I found my answer. Padme wouldn't die. Mace Windu wouldn't die. I would not join the darkness. I would shroud myself in the light, and protect all the life around me, good or bad.

I did not need the darkness to save her.

I would find… another way.

I felt my senses peak, and my conscience felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from it. All the stress and strain and hate and indecision and regret evaporated. It was an inexplicable sensation of warmth, like standing in the brilliant rays of the Horaq sun, and it filled me suddenly, gave me more control than I'd ever had. For the first time in my Knighthood…

I was not confused. I knew exactly what I was doing.

With practiced finesse, I used the flowing river of power that every Jedi knight trains to master to call my lightsaber to my bionic hand. Quickly igniting my cerulean saber, I gently, yet firmly swashed the blade through the air, swiftly meeting Mace Windu's famous violet weapon, in one smooth, fluid motion.

The lightsaber's tangled and crackled, hissing as they repelled one another's energy emitting pattern. Familiar sparks of a saber stand-off—a form of saber fencing both I and Master Windu specialized in--flew from our clashed weapons.

Windu looked at me in fury at first, but it evaporated, and the power from behind his blade slowly dissipated. He looked a tad confused, or at least curious.

A long moment of us staring at one another, our blades humming and sizzling against one another gave way only when I gave the advance to him courteously, letting him shove my blade to the side. Normally, this would be a time for the advancing victor of the stand-off to strike his minorly disoriented opponent, but Windu did not sense hostility in me. I knew he didn't. If he sensed hostility in me, we would be engaged in a mad duel of flashing lights and sparks.

I deactivated my emitter and the azure energy retreated back to it's cell with a whisper. Windu did not follow in suit, pointing his blade warily at me.

"Young Skywalker, what is the meaning of this…?" He asked me. "Clashing blades with a superior unprovoked is an act punishable by exile, surely you know this?"

The Sith Lord suddenly looked wearily at me. I detected something I knew well in his eyes—confusion, fear, and firm denial that what was happening was really happening.

"No! Anakin, strike him down! Kill him! If you do not kill him, he will execute me! Your loved one will die just as you've foreseen! You'll change nothing! Do not abandon the dark side!" He said. His face suddenly shifted from a begging look to an evil, hissing demon-like scowl, "Kill him now!" He demanded.

I sighed, and held my hand out toward Palpatine, closing my eyes, reaching out to his emotions, his thoughts. It used to be so difficult, because Jedi and Sith know how to throw up mental barriers, but this time it came with ease. There was such clarity and sharpness to the power now that it was no longer clouded by indecision…

His look took on a face of pure horror. "Wha, what are you doing? Stop that! Stop that at once!"

I understood the pitiable man now.

"…I see. So it was a lie. A lie that brought you to the dark side. And you would try to do the same to me…? That's just tragic." I speculated.

I released his mind, and he began wheezing hard.

Mace Windu shook his head.

"Truly it is the nature of history to repeat itself." He said, seeming pensive. "Still, we must prevent it from doing so this time."

I advanced toward the crumpled, atrophied body of the Sith Lord, and he backed away, looking horrified.

"Stay back!" He roared, eyes wild with fear and anger. Curious I thought, stretching my hand out to pull him away from the window. He backed away more, hissing like a crazed laigrek. Farther and farther he scooched himself to the edge of the shattered window--and a 10 thousand-foot drop.

"What's the matter with you? I'm trying to help!" I said.

"There's no help for him now, Anakin, don't let compassion blind you! He's too far gone, the only thing that will end his suffering now is a swift death." Master Windu informed me, still waving his weapon menacingly. The chancellor hacked over and over, as if he were ill. The crimson circles around his eyes deepened in hue, making him look like the devil himself.

Is that… what the dark side does to a person?

"No… no… This is not right at all… it can't be true! It was not supposed to happen this way!" Palpatine wheezed, a sick mix of anger and sadness present in his voice, "You were so beautiful, Anakin, so powerful… But you threw it away! It was your chance! It was the only chance… My only chance! I saw visions of your power, your unstoppable power in my sweetest dreams! You could've been the greatest Sith Lord there ever was! Now look at you! I can't look, I can't bare to look!"

The words of the chancellor were almost as pathetic and sick as he was. I could do no more than pity how far he'd fallen, too far for any Jedi to save.

Even the Chosen One…

"Anakin, look out!" Shouted Master Windu. Wait, what was going on, I wasn't paying attention…

I saw bolts of lightning streaking toward me. My bionic hand raced to my side to retrieve my trusty blade, but I wasn't fast enough.

I felt a wave of pain tremulate though my body, which jolted through me as I was ripped apart from the inside out by the electricity. I grunted and held back a scream of agony…!

"Anakin!" Came the distressed voice of the Master.

"Hahahahahahahahaha! FEEL the power of the dark side, Anakin! The power you threw away! Unlimited POWER!"

The electricity wouldn't stop. It kept surging through my body, and I could almost feel my vitals slowly shutting down. How could I let this happen? Why couldn't I have sensed the danger?

I felt the scream being ripped from my lungs as I couldn't hold it in any longer, as the cold, painful bolts of dark energy rumbled within them, threatening to burst through my chest.

And eventually, the pain was so severe, it faded away entirely. The sounds muted. The smells were no longer detectable. My vision was the last thing to slowly dim.

No…

NO! I couldn't die! I had so much to do! I had to save Padme! I had to fulfill the prophecy! I didn't want to die at the hands of the Sith! No, not like this!

Was this the will of the Force? To kill me for making the right decision…?

Was… it the right decision?

Why did the Force hate me so?

These were the questions that circled within what little consciousness I had left. My vision was fading, getting darker…

"Padme…" I felt the words leave my lips, as the torch of my life slowly flickered into a flame half a step above a match. The wind was blowing at the flame. Soon it would go out, and all would go dark.

The last thing I saw before the darkness took me, was a purple flash, and the sick, cauterized head of the man who lied to me rolling across the ground, still twisted in a gross, malevolent smile.

--------------------

Somewhere in the darkness, I became afraid. I was always afraid of dying. The Jedi were not supposed to be afraid of death, or anything for that matter, because it led to the dark side.

I've said this before, haven't I? Just checking.

Anyway…

I began to wonder what would happen to me. It was so dark, so cold. There was nothing here.

Did I even exist anymore?

I had to, I still had a mind, a will. A will that wanted to live. But… Not even the fairy tale Darth Plagueous could save himself from death.

Was this what happened to everyone who died? Shouldn't there be more souls than my own in this place?

Why was I all alone…? Was this… Hell?

I didn't know. I didn't know where I was. But it was no paradise.

A lot of people, particularly historians that studied the ways of the Jedi believed that the theory of 'the Force' was a religion. I suppose they deducted this because we believed that when something died, it became one with the Force, rather than going to any sort of after-life, or being reincarnated.

Jedi didn't think of the Force as a religion. They knew it to be a divine truth, because they could see it. They witnessed it first hand.

But no Jedi knew what 'joining the Force' really entailed when death was upon them. They didn't know what it felt like, if it felt like anything; they didn't know anything about it, except that it was true. It was something they'd have to experience first hand to understand.

And something that becomes one with the Force doesn't come back.

…So I thought.

So was I at one with the Force now? Is this truly what it was like to be part of something as powerful and boundless as the Force?

…It couldn't be! This was… It wasn't the pleasure and honor that the Jedi made it out to be. It was just nothing. Just blackness, endless blackness. Infinite abyss, eternal darkness.

I had nothing to console me but my own floating thoughts.

And that wasn't very consoling. Often times, during my life, I ran away from my thoughts, tried to occupy myself with anything else so that they wouldn't catch up to me. My mind was a dark place.

And now it was all I had. That wasn't much. This was hell.

This was worse than hell.

I remained like that for the longest time, and yet the shortest time. I couldn't measure the time that had elapsed when something besides nothing had finally happened. I don't think time was a factor in whatever part of the universe I had landed in, whatever dimension or multiverse. But I know I was glad to see it when it showed up:

A tiny sparkle of light. Dim, faint, but it was there. It was something. Something besides blackness, something besides a thought or memory or regret.

So I reached out to it. I didn't have anything to reach out with except the Force, so the Force I used. And it worked. I saw the little light grow faintly, subtly bigger.

I pulled harder, and slowly I could feel my face again.

I pulled even harder, and I could feel warm, life-sustaining air fill my lungs once again.

I pulled as hard as I could, and the numbness that had gripped my legs faded, and once more, I had the power to run.

So I ran. I ran toward that light, and it grew and grew. It got bigger than I thought it would, it got bigger than me, filled the void as I neared it. I ran faster, determined to get to it, find out what it was.

It didn't matter what it was, it was something. That was all I wanted when I had nothing. Nothing but my mind and body and the darkness. And the Force.

To most Jedi, the Force was everything.

To me, the Force was nothing but a tool. It wasn't really that important to me.

A swift aeon passed me by, followed by a slow instant. It didn't matter how long it took, I'd make it eventually. The light was getting closer. I was getting closer, closer, closer. I was almost there now.

I ran as fast as my legs would take me, and I finally made it. I left the darkness behind. I left death behind. I sacrificed all that remained of me for the light, the mysterious, entrancing light. And I ran straight through it, and it engulfed me.

It caressed me, tenderly healed the pain and exhaust I felt. It made me feel better. I was glad it was there. I loved this light, and it loved me. I belonged in the light. I had never been more sure about a decision in my life.

I still feel the same to this very day.

I was overjoyed with my accomplishment, my greatest accomplishment:

**How I ran, head first, into the light**…

And it was beautiful.

------------

After experiencing what I had, I can say first hand, how strange of a feeling it was, to be alive one moment, and dead the next.

But now I had to admit, an even stranger feeling it was—to be dead one moment, and alive the next.

Slowly the six senses came flooding back to me. The first, naturally, was the feeling of pain. An aching, stiff sort of pain. It wasn't too horribly intense, but it faded slowly in, and eventually grew into a migraine of the entire body. Every cuticle.

My arm must have been offline, though, because I couldn't feel it.

And I think I was laying down. On something soft and warm. But I was a little cold still.

The next sense that returned to me was my sense of smell. The air of this place was one I recognized, but couldn't identify. Medical supplies, I suppose.

Then my sense of hearing slowly flooded back to me. At first I could hear a muffled whirring sound. Sounded like a droid of some kind, obviously in need of some routine maintenance. The sounds sharpened a little, and I could hear a slow beeping.

Beep, beep, beep. In sync with the rhythm of my pulse.

I waited for my vision to return to me, but before that could happen, I felt my left arm being pricked by something. I immediately knew what it was, and I did NOT like it.

"Owch!" I shouted, voice crackling dryly.

Everything was so bright at first, but my eyes quickly adjusted. I used my left arm to lift open the medical droid's chassis and swiftly rewired it and programmed it to self-destruct. I then raised my foot and kicked the floating pest as hard as I could, and it spinned into the far wall, slamming against it with a clunk before exploding violently into slag.

As spare parts flew all over the place, I rubbed my arm where the droid had so foolishly inserted the cursed needle.

I never did like needles. I'd rather be poked with a lightsaber than a blasted needle.

"Anakin! By the Sith's blood, you are alive!" Came a familiar voice, "And kicking!" A voice I knew well. A voice I had deeply missed, that brought joy to my heart.

"Obi-Wan?" I called, looking for him.

I was in what appeared to be a medbay, though I had been to many, and did not know which this was. Obi-Wan walked over to the cot-like bed I was on, and smiled warmly. It was such a relief to see him.

I smiled back.

"Master, it is good to see you are well." I said, courteously. Most refer to their masters so informally due to the Jedi teachings, but not me. No, when I addressed my Master so humbly, it was out of genuine respect. Obi-Wan was my friend, and my mentor, and I looked up to him.

Obi-Wan always told me he loved me like a brother, but I saw him more like a father. But of course, I never told him that… Obi-Wan was a little testy when it came to his age… Hahaha.

I didn't dare tell him he had a few gray hairs on the back of his head, or a little wrinkle under his left eye, for fear that he might bend me over his knee and spank me with his lightsaber on stun mode.

What? No, he actually did it once. I couldn't feel my hind quarters for 3 days. Which is… uh, exactly why a padawan should never ever, ever ever ever take their master's lightsaber apart and replace the emitter with a gag emitter that makes fart noises when you swing it. ESPECIALLY if they're planning on carrying out an important mission that requires effective use of intimidation in order to be resolved peacefully.

But at least that gang of Rodian thugs died laughing…

Huh? I'm not smirking! I'm more mature than that now! It's not fitting for the Chosen One to laugh at such childishness…

…(snickers)

…Ok, so maybe it's still a little funny.

Erh, but seriously, it wasn't worth it. Believe me when I say that getting spanked with a lightsaber is painful AND humiliating enough, without the degrading edition of flatulent sound effects accompanying every swat to your bottom.

Plus, well, the Jedi never had much of a sense of humor anyway. After all, I'll never forget the greatest quote of wisdom Master Yoda ever imparted on me: (imitating Yoda) 'To the dark side, harmless, (cough)slightly obscene(cough) lightsaber jokes lead!'

Okay, so he never really said that, but I swear he probably would if I ever told him one.

"Well of course I'm well, I didn't have a thousand volts of electricity sent through my body recently." My mentor informed me, with a weak smile.

Everything that happened came flooding back to me. The decision, Master Windu, the electric shock, the lies. I suddenly felt less at peace. The first real world question that came to my mind was:

"Where's Padme!"

I became scared at the fact that she wasn't here. I knew that if she was well, she'd be here, and she wasn't here. She wasn't here!

Seeing the distress in my eyes, Obi-Wan put a finger to his lips and hushed me with a gentle whisper. I quieted, but did not calm down.

"She's alright, Anakin." He told me. I always trusted my Master's words, so I immediately calmed down, but only a little, "She's in the emergency room right now. A day after you were hospitalized, she started having more powerful contractions. It won't be long before her water breaks, and she fully enters labor."

I started to sit up, and it hurt horribly, but I managed it nevertheless. Obi-Wan placed a hand gently on my shoulder and urged me to lay back down, but I sat up anyway.

"Easy!" He warned, half scolding half concerned.

"Augggh… I'm… Fine." I grumbled, fighting the pain. "How long was I out?"

"Anakin, you've only just recovered…" He lectured, "I know it may appear that you're all right outwardly, but the lightning did serious damage to your vitals, damage that's only just begun to mend." He added, bowling right over me.

"Master, please, don't worry so much, it hastens age. You don't want to shrivel up like Master Yoda, do you?" I said, with a wry grin. For the first time since I woke up, he narrowed his eyes at me threateningly.

How I loved pushing that button.

"I'll just let the fact that you'll be in excruciating pain when the sedatives wear off sate my sudden urge to inflict harm upon you."

I laughed a little.

"Calm yourself, Master, I'm only teasing you. You know I harbor the utmost respect for both you and Master Yoda." I assured him.

"You have a funny way of showing respect, young one." He retorted, finally giving way to a faint grin.

"Master. Please, how long have I been incapacitated? I must go see Padme…" I said, swinging my feet over the side of the bed. The medbay bed was uncommonly warm, soft, and sterile, and I didn't want to leave it, especially not with my stiff joints, aching muscles, and unrelenting migraine, but…

Padme was the one person I'd always make an exception for, no matter how much it hurt me or anyone else. She was my greatest strength and most devastating weakness. I had to see her, especially if she was about to give birth to my child.

Then a horrible fear struck me. The visions! The dreams! Oh… no!

There was no time, no time for Obi-Wan or pain or the fact that the only thing I was wearing was a tattered pair of leggings or that they hadn't been kind enough to restore power to my arm.

I jumped out of my bed, and dashed, rather stumbled toward the door. Obi-Wan immediately jumped up to protest, but I didn't listen to him. My legs were so stiff and sore I felt like my bones would shatter from beneath me with every step. But I ignored it.

Pain was something I learned to ignore, not by the Jedi, but from fighting. My bionic arm was proof enough: Those who choose to fight get hurt. I've had my share of hurts. But in a lightsaber duel, inflicting pain upon your opponent is more important than keeping yourself from it. So I taught myself to ignore the pain. Obi-Wan was much the same, but probably wasn't as good as I was at it. He wasn't as reckless as I was.

"Anakin, get back here! Anakin!" He shouted after me.

I'm sorry Master, but Padme comes first. She'll always come first, even after she ascends to the Force. So I ran, and breathed hard. I needed the Force—needed my sixth sense to guide me to her. And it hadn't come back to me yet. Damn it all!

The Force was not very dependable, I found as of late.

"I'm coming," I called out to her.

Okay, Obi-Wan will probably be chasing me, so I'll have to keep on the move. He said she was in the emergency room, so it won't be any of these private ones…

I dashed out of the hallway with cascading doors, some open some closed, some containing patients some not, in search for a sign to lead me to where I had to go. Everything was white, and it all looked the same, to my irritation. I needed the Force, and as usual, when I needed it the most, it wasn't available.

I thought by this time Obi-Wan would catch up with me, but I realized if I couldn't feel the Force yet, HE wouldn't be able to feel me in the Force either. Not until it returned to me. Okay, so at least we were both lost.

I suddenly bumped into a medbay protocol droid. I mean literally bumped into it. I managed to reach my left hand out to catch it, and pulled it up. Protocol droid's always had poor balance. The droid focused his photoreceptors on me.

"Good day, may I be of assisstance?" He asked, robotically. That's what I loved about droids, they always did what they were supposed to do unless they were malfunctioning. Unlike the Force.

"Yes, uh, please, can you direct me to the emergency room?" I asked it, practically jogging in place. The droid scuttled about, making a 180 degree turn.

"Certainly. The emergency room can be found on the northwest corridor, right down this hallway and to the right. Keep going until you see a large room on the end of the building." He said. "Caution: The emergency room is limited to doctors and medical droids and officials with proper clearance. Failure to abide by these rules may result in…"

"Great, thanks!" I said, completely ignoring the unimportant stuff.

Obi-Wan liked to think that I was always on the move, and I really couldn't argue with him. I guess it was just my nature.

Of course, as soon as I finally got directions and knew where I was going, the Force faded back, and I could feel the world the way a Jedi does. IMMEDIATELY after I got directions.

"Hmph, great help you are…" I muttered to it, as if it could hear me.

Hey, the Force is mysterious, who knows, maybe it could?

Regardless of that, any Jedi would feel incomplete without the Force, and I was glad it was back, though I didn't thank it for taking it's sweet time. But enough about the Force, I had to see Padme.

With the Force at my back, I ran more like a Jedi, each step more of a long leap. This was what I suppose was called the Force Run, or Knight Speed or something, because I couldn't really think to name it. It was one of the ways I used the Force most often. I always felt like I had to go faster, faster than I was. Even now, at about 3 times my normal running speed, I wished the Force could push me just a little farther a little quicker.

But I was already at my destination. And the door was locked.

Okay, locked door, no problem. I called my lightsaber to my left hand, seeing as my right was offline and…

Wait a second… where was my lightsaber?

Oh God, that's not good. I felt naked without it. Erh, more naked than I already was.

Okay, okay, this is no problem. This is still no problem. No lightsaber, a Jedi has another weapon still—the Force. Just great.

I felt the Force smiling smugly at me.

See, you DO need me. I could almost hear it say.

Alright, anything for Padme, pride or no. I'd need a whole hell of a lot of Force Push power to take down a durasteel door, but I figured I could handle it. I meditated, felt it flow within me, like a river, gentle, yet powerful. I mentally made the currents flow more swiftly, more rapidly. The river became a rapid. I pushed forward, and the door's windows bursted. It began to crack and bend. The rapid became a waterfall. The door bent more and more, and at last, the waterfall became a torrent, and I pushed forward against it with all the power I had.

Blam! There goes the door, flying from it's hinges. I felt a little pride and maybe a little more arrogance at how efficient my method was, but I ignored those for the time being.

I had to go see Padme.


	3. Toldya So

"Into the Light" Chapter 3: "Toldya So" 

I heard the sparsely suppressed cries of my love, and it tore into my heart like a vibroblade tears into flesh.

A wave of pain hit me, but it was not my own. It was hers. Pregnancy must have been a horrible venture, and Padme must have been so strong just to bare it. It was awful.

And that's how I felt, awful.

"Padme!" I shouted, pushing my way through the chittering droids. They were all muttering something about Medbay regulations, but I wasn't listening.

Her head lifted up, and the beads of sweat matting her normally beautiful hair trickled down her cheek as her eyes centered on me. She was undergoing immense pain, tremendous torment, but somewhere in her wonderful eyes, within the universe of beauty that I saw in her pupils, I could detect the relief that we both felt at seeing each other.

It was one of love's miracles, to never tire of the feeling of merely seeing one another, no matter the situation.

"Agh… Ani!" She panted. Her voice was so weak, and I suddenly felt stronger.

Some people liked to view love as an emotion, take the Jedi for instance. It only showed me how little they knew about it, that they thought it was a mere emotion.

Love was no emotion. Love was so much more powerful than that. Emotions are one tracked, simple feelings that make a person think of one thing and nothing else. Love was something that made you feel many emotions, and have many thoughts, but all centered around whatever it is you love.

And thus, love was more complicated and mysterious than even the Force. I could never understand it, nor would I claim to. But the Jedi think they understand love, when they don't.

One of the things I admired about Obi-Wan, one of the things that made me respect him more than any other Jedi was the fact that he didn't claim to know anything about love, and didn't intend to learn about it.

He openly told me that he was afraid to love, because he was told that love hurts. He heard right.

At times like this, love hurts. It really hurts. It hurt me to see Padme in such pain, but it made me stronger. It made me stronger because love is also a bond. A bond between two things.

A powerful bond.

It was this same bond that sent Padme's pain to me, and this same bond that also made me feel her relief at seeing me.

But seeing her in pain made me stronger. I became stronger because I had to be strong for the both of us, because she didn't have any more strength to give right now. It was not the pain or the bond that gave me strength, but necessity.

I HAD to be strong. Strong for her.

I knelt down at her side, and she clasped her clammy, trembling palm into my one flesh hand. She squeezed it hard. I never knew such a tiny hand could squeeze so hard. It only showed me that I still knew nothing of love or Padme.

She _was_ strong, and she _still_ had strength. She was using it to fight the pain, though.

And I felt that strength as it threatened to crush my hand like a vice. But I held it calmly, squinting a little as she was still squeezing pretty hard.

But I was happy that she was squeezing so hard. If she had that much life left in her, then maybe this vision wouldn't come true…

No. There were no maybes. That vision would NOT come true. I wouldn't let it. And I could see that Padme wouldn't let it either. It didn't matter if it was the will of the Force, because together, Padme and I were stronger than even the Force.

Our love was stronger.

"Ana…Kin… Urrrgh!" She grunted, face twisting in pain. My stomach heaved as I felt the blow hit me, as well.

"Padme, it's alright, you're going to be just fine. I'm here now, I'm here and I'm fine." I said, trying to comfort her. She sort of nodded under me, and then screamed at the top of her lungs.

I glanced at one of the medical droids.

"What is happening, are her vital signs intact?" I asked it. The droid merely looked up at me, and it's head whirled around. I sighed, seeing that it was not programmed to interact with anything but surgical operations.

I glanced at Padme, and she shook her head. She knew what I was thinking, but she was telling me that she would not release my hand.

Now I really could do nothing but wait. My right hand was deactivated, and needed to be charged before it would function. And she was holding my left. I could not reprogram any of the droids to be more… helpful without the use of my hands.

If there was a sentient in the room, I could use a mind trick to get information out of him, but there were only droids. It only made sense, droids were more efficient…

But there should have at least been an overseer in the room. There was not.

That irritated me.

Suddenly, Padme's eyes trailed away from me, and looked toward the doorway. I looked up to see a very irritated Jedi Master tapping his foot on a broken durasteel door, shaking his head at me. I would surely get a lecture for that little stunt…

I smiled weakly at him. Even though he was not pleased to see me this time, I was pleased to see him. He could help me out, at least more than these droids could.

Obi-Wan had a very handy skill at his disposal—he was learned in the arts of healing. On countless occasions have I been wounded in a mission, only to have Obi-Wan treat me with efficiency and skill, as if it were nothing more than a scratch.

I asked him about it once, and he merely said that it was a skill every Jedi should be learned in, and handed me a thick book. I was not patient enough to read past the cover.

"Obi-Wan… Eh…" I trailed, not knowing how to word my apology. He shook his head and entered the room, flinching a bit at Padme's state. Only a bit.

"Save it, Anakin. I already know why you did what you did, and you've heard the following lecture many times before. We can discuss your punishment later." He said, shaking his head.

I was already a fully fledged Jedi Knight, and as usual, Obi-Wan was still treating me like his Padawan. Typical Obi-Wan. Of course, as a Master, he had the right.

Besides, he was always lenient on me as far as punishment went. Both Jedi Masters and Jedi Knights are expected to give very strict punishments for disobedience such as what I displayed here, but I knew when Obi-Wan said 'punishment', he probably just meant the usual—I'd have to pay the credits for the damages I caused, and meditate in the corner for a half an hour. Yes, I know, very degrading, but I've grown used to it. It's just kind of funny now.

I had… Well, I think I had 1500 some credits stashed away at my apartment. That should cover that flimsy durasteel door, and maybe half of that medical droid. I could earn the rest easy enough, working as a free lance droid technician for a week or so.

Of course, as a Senator, Padme made many more credits than I did, and she'd gladly give me anything I needed without even asking what it was for, but Obi-Wan always made sure that credits I spent came out of my pocket, and mine alone. Especially when it came to damage I caused.

You can tell I've gone through this before, can't you? Haha…

"Forgive me Master… Can you please find out how Padme's doing?" I asked, feeling somewhat dependant, a feeling I didn't much like. Obi-Wan frowned, and for a minute there, you could see the harsh creases of the years on his visage. That was his 'I'm too old for this' look. I saw that look so very many times, even though he was still fairly young for a Master.

I mean, Master Yoda is 800 something…. I think.

Maybe it was in the 600s?

Oh well. Master Yoda, believe it or not, was sensitive about his age, too. Whenever anyone asked him about it he would just glare at them in a way that says "I'm over 25, and that's all you need to know!"

Obi-Wan nodded toward Padme as a way to acknowledge her presence, and he went to the opposite side of the room, careful not to interfere with any of the droid's work. He absent mindedly took a clipboard from one of them and looked at it, before handing it back. He picked up a minicomputer that one of them had set down, and opened it, typing a few things into it, scratching his chin as he looked at the screen. For a flash of an instant, he looked extremely surprised about something. He closed it and set it back where it was.

Last thing he did was close his eyes and whisper to himself, holding his fingers up every now and then—a show that he was doing a few minor calculations. He opened his eyes, and smiled at me, then at Padme.

"Good news, Senator, you're in perfectly healthy condition." He said. I'd never heard such beautiful words leave the man's lips as those.

For a moment I couldn't even smile, because I just couldn't believe it. That was too good to be true, but it was true. I was counting on it's being true.

"Of course I, ahh! Am… I told you… urrrgh… Ani…." Padme said through a series of grunts and whimpers.

I didn't smile, but I calmed down. It wasn't over yet. It wouldn't be over until the baby was born, and neither I nor Padme could relax until that was over with.

My master made his way to me, and whispered into my ear.

"Anakin, I have to tell you something important." He said, "About her." He added.

I whispered back to him. "Why are you whispering…? Is it bad?"

He actually smiled. I didn't like the way he was smiling. "Depends on your perspective, young one."

"Why can't Padme know…?" I asked him. He shushed me quickly, making sure not to talk unless she wasn't looking. Padme doesn't like it when people kept things from her, and we both knew it.

"Because, it's better that she doesn't know that she's going to experience the pain of birthing not one, but two."

I felt my heart climb into my throat.

"You can't mean…?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes, Anakin, she's carrying twins."

Now _that_ was what you call an emotional sucker punch. I'll tell you one thing right now, I was not too excited when Padme first told me that I had gotten her pregnant.

I felt the same thing that all fathers feel when they first become fathers—fear. I wasn't ready for a child. I loved Padme, and I had every intention to have a family with her, but… not so early as this. I had never cared for a child before. What if I messed up or something? What if I didn't hold it right?

What if the child hated me?

And now I learn that there won't be one child, but two. Twice the trouble, twice the fear.

Twice the pain Padme had to live through.

But Padme, as one would suspect, was so excited when she first learned that she was going to have my child. It showed in her every movement—she couldn't wait to be a mother. It now occurred to me that she had purposefully neglected taking any sort of birth regulators or pregnancy control capsules. I suppose this is what I get for letting my less dependable head do the thinking.

I never believed in the term 'soul mates' until I met Padme. But that didn't mean her and I agreed on everything. Children was one of those things in which our views were very different. I was a child once, and I knew how I wanted to be treated as a child. That was all I knew of how to deal with a child.

I was not a normal child. Not really. And I also knew that you can't always give a child what it wants. But still, I knew nothing of what to discipline, what to praise, what to scold, what to reward…

Obi-Wan once told me that having me as a Padawan was like babysitting a child. That was the same day that I beat him in Pazaak 5 times in a row of course, but still, I think he meant it.

I wonder if Obi-Wan could give me any advice…

"Obi-Wan." I suddenly said, so Padme couldn't hear. He looked at me, and moved his head closer to mine. I clutched my love's hand a little tighter, letting her know I was there. "What should we do? I can hide Padme, and she can hide me, but how are we to hide our children…?"

Obi-Wan looked very troubled by the question, and for a moment he pondered it, scratching his whiskery chin in thought.

"…Let us cross that bridge when we come to it, young one." He said, evading the question.

I didn't blame him for not knowing what to do either.

And I felt bad, because it wasn't Obi-Wan's problem, but mine. Mine and Padme's.

"Auuuuughhh!" Padme suddenly shrieked, clenching my hand with the power of a frenzied Gammorean. Obi-Wan jumped up, eyes wild.

"It's happening!" He said.

---------------------+

The birthing was a long process… A long, very painful process that I would not at all like to review, at least not in too much detail. I have no idea how Padme, much less any woman could possibly endure such physical torment as birthing a child, much less two. Even after they dosed her with enough sedatives to bring down a Zakkeg, Padme could not rest, could not do anything but scream in agony.

And I felt all of it, every bit, because of our bond. I felt like my heart had been dipped in molten carbonite every time I saw her beautiful face wince.

It seemed like the whole process took hours upon hours. I was there, offering her all I could, those being mere words of comfort, and my hand, numb and bruised from her unrelenting grip.

Obi-Wan didn't seem satisfied with merely standing there, so he helped out a bit, handing the droids the things that they needed, administering as much sedatives as Padme could withstand without them putting her into a coma, and regulating her vitals, making sure to tell me how she was doing at intervals.

I then did something very, very stupid. I felt the desire to trail away from Padme's side, and try and see where all that blood was coming from.

This was a part of Padme that, I assure you, I had seen many times before.

This time I found that it wasn't nearly as pleasurable to look at as it was before. I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at it again. And I also feel bad, because the fact that I promptly vomited 4 to 6 times seemed to confuse some of the busy medical droids, whom were programmed to administer medication to anything that exhibited illness.

By the time I was done throwing up what seemed like 9 or 10 organs, I saw my first born child. Obi-Wan bumped one of the droids out of the way, and personally handled the removal of the umbilical cord, and the cleaning of the little one.

Obi-wan started to show me the child, which was still a little bloody and screaming at the top of it's little lungs, and I bit my lip. He smiled.

"Squeamish? Haha, Anakin, it's a boy!" He told me. I only looked away from the child, feeling a cold chill run through me as the tiny voice pierced through me.

Then I heard another little voice.

Padme continued to coil and squirm and heave, and I continued to wish this would all be over.

Obi-Wan set the small baby boy in a crib-like tub that seemed to be used for such things, and he went back into the fray, helping to deliver the second child, the child neither I nor Padme had known about. The process was rather quick this time, and before I knew it, my Master had freed another tiny body from my wife's… you know what I mean.

He cleaned the infant quickly and efficiently, as he did any wound or infection, and he wrapped it up in a little blanket, which he had taken from one of the droids. He told us that this one was a girl. The droids were exceedingly confused now, seeing as Obi-Wan had done some of the things they were supposed to do, and they were bumping into one another and such. But that didn't matter. Not even the babies mattered, all that mattered to me right then was Padme.

As soon as that second child had left her, her form went weak and limp, all of the energy at her disposal having been spent on that one act, rather two. Her hand no longer gripped mine, and her eyes were closed.

I was horrified.

"Padme…?" I called, quietly.

"Padme." Obi-Wan said over me, holding both of the babies carefully.

And the next thing that happened was, I'm positive, the happiest moment of my life:

Padme opened her eyes, and smiled.

She was alive. She was alive…

My visions never came true.

I felt hot, joyous tears stream down my cheeks as she smiled at Obi-Wan, then at me. And then Padme told me, in a hushed, weak, but very alive voice something I'd never been so happy to hear:

"Told ya' so, Ani…"

And Obi-Wan was smiling too, big and bright, as he held my children, one in each arm. He was happy for us. Obi-Wan ever proved to be my best friend in the whole world, the one who would never let me down. The one I could always count on.

I finally accepted that I had children, and that I was now bonded to more than one individual. I held my arm out. Obi-Wan handed me what I believed to be the girl, and he handed the other one to Padme. Both the children were still whimpering and the one I held was full-on screaming, but as soon as the little boy entered Padme's arms, and she petted him gently, he calmed down and went silent, seeming fully content in her arms.

I knew how it felt to be in her arms. It was a very comforting, wonderful feeling. I knew that no child, no matter how upset, could cry whilst in her arms.

I wish I could say the same about myself, but the little girl I held did not seem quite so at peace with me, and she kicked and screamed in sheer frustration, making all kinds of noise.

And Obi-Wan and Padme…

Were they laughing at me?

"No, no, Anakin, not like that…" Obi-Wan informed.

"Agh, she won't be still!" I said, trying to keep control of the squirming child.

"It's because you're holding her wrong!" Padme said with wide eyes.

"I only have one arm!" I announced. Obi-Wan held his arms out, and I gladly handed him the child. Hoo-boy, was I ever not ready for this…

"Well gracious, Anakin, why didn't you say so?" My mentor told me, with a worried frown. He wagged his head toward a workbench that I had been eyeing ever since I entered the room.

My arm was of custom design, so only my own specially crafted quantum-cells could power it efficiently, but I could use any old hydrospanner to power it up if I had a work station. It just took longer.

-----------------------+

About a minute after my arm was back online, I was nearly arrested by the Medbay overseer and a few officers, but Obi-Wan just gave a wave of his hand and told them they 'didn't _want_ to detain me' and they understood perfectly.

I left naming the children completely up to Padme, as I knew she'd have it no other way. She had obviously premeditated the names, as she gave them without hesitation when the overseer asked—The boy was to be called Luke, and the girl would be known as Leia.

I liked both names, because Padme loved them, and put a lot of thought into them.

I was so very happy that she was alive. But she was very, very tired.

"Anakin…" She called drowsily. "I'm going to rest my eyes for a bit now… Stay here with me… Please?" She asked me. I held one of her hands in both of mine, and kissed it gently.

"I wouldn't leave you if you asked me to." I told her. She smiled weakly, and closed her eyes.

I sat by her for what felt like a few hours, and yet mere minutes. I didn't care, because it was a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life. I was happy, just sitting there with her. She was so beautiful.

I turned my head to look at Obi-Wan, whom was also very calm and collected, meditating. At this point both babies were sleeping, so it was nice and quiet. He probably felt my eyes on him, because he opened his and looked back at me. He smiled a little, and I returned the favor.

"Thank you, master." I told him. He held his hand up as if to wave the apology off. I was one of the few to see it, but I knew—Obi-Wan was humble by nature, not because he was a Jedi Master.

"I was only doing what I wanted to do, young one." He told me. I smiled, and was silent for a moment.

"…I didn't know you knew how to deliver children, master." I stated, merely for the sake of conversation. It had been a good while since my mentor and I had had a good conversation. He grinned.

"I didn't." He chuckled. "Not for humans, anyway."

I cocked my head at him. "But you knew how to birth what? A Devaronian?"

He laughed heartily.

"No, but I was once on a transport ship with a pregnant Twi'lek. Thankfully their anatomy and that of a human female are not that different." He told me. I smirked at him.

"You know that from experience, Master?" I teased. I swear, at that moment, his face flushed with blood, and went redder than a Sith's saber.

"Now Anakin, that is forbidden by the Jedi Order, you know that…" He said, hiding his face somewhat. Oh, I had him now.

"I also know that you were once just as young, foolish, and 'in control' of your hormones as I am, Master." I prodded. He got redder, and seemed to be checking to see if anyone else was listening.

"Confound it, young one, the past is the past, and it should be left in the past…" He said, getting a little irritated now. I began to snicker a little at him.

"Come on, Master, you can tell _me_. What was her name?" I asked. Obi-Wan looked at me in that 'respect your elders' sort of way, and it only made the situation funnier.

"Her name is no concern of yours-"

"So there _is _a girl!" I half shouted. Obi-Wan flinched, and hissed at me to keep it down.

"(cough) WAS." He practically hacked out.

I grinned at the Master. He was pretending to be agitated with me, and was glaring, but not even Obi-Wan's cold glares could take me out of the fantastic mood I was in.

"Hehehe. Come now, Master, tell me about her." I chuckled.

"No." He said, folding his arms.

"Why not?" I said with a fake pout.

"Because." He stated simply.

"Oh goodness, do you still care for her, Master?" I prodded out of curiosity. I was highly amused as his eyes shrunk in surprise.

"Anakin, are you reading my mind?" He asked me. I laughed.

"Of course not, Master, I was reading your feelings!" I admitted. This wasn't Force mind reading, this was intuitive perceptiveness. And seeing Obi-Wan's reaction to it was a riot.

Master wouldn't talk to me for a few minutes after that, so I just chuckled and decided to let it go, for now. I'd yet find out who Obi-Wan's long lost sweetheart was, believe you me. When he finally calmed down I turned and smiled at him again. He only shook his head this time.

"Master, how long do you think she'll be out?" I asked him. He scratched his chin.

"At least a day. I gave her an awful lot of sedatives, and they usually take full effect immediately after large episodes of exertion. She could sleep up to 25 hours before she wakes up."

I frowned. "That is an awfully long time."

He grinned at me. "Can't sit still for that long, can you? I didn't think so." He chuckled.

I only frowned, not wanting to break a promise to Padme, but not wanting to stick around in this horrible place for a whole day, either. I felt cold, and I think Obi-Wan noticed.

"Come, Anakin. I've got some robes for you to change into back in your room. It'll only take a minute." He told me.

We went back to the room where I woke up, and I quickly changed into what was not just a robe, but a whole Jedi outfit. The garments were plain, and unassuming, just as all Jedi clothes were, but these were special, I could tell. They were dyed an exotic bluish hue, and they were comfortable and so very, very warm. I liked them a lot.

"These are very nice. Obi-Wan, where did you purchase these?" I asked him, wishing to have robes like this of my own. He smiled at me.

"They're yours to keep, you don't have to ask. They're Echani training robes, passed down in my family for generations. They're specially designed to trap heat within the fabric, so they're resistant to cold climates."

I felt as if I'd just stolen something precious from the man. "I couldn't possibly accept a family heirloom from you, Obi-Wan! Especially not one so valuable as this…" I said, beginning to remove them. He stopped me.

"Anakin, it's a gift. I was planning to give it to you on your birthday, but as reckless as you are, I don't know if you'll live to see that day, so I'm giving them to you now. You scared me to death with that last stunt you know, getting electrocuted by a Sith Lord?" He said, giving me one of his looks. I frowned, remembering.

"I appreciate your concern, Master." I told him. "But are you sure…?"

He nodded. "Just call it a present to celebrate the health of your newborns."

----------+

We went back to the room where they were keeping Padme, and I smiled at her, sitting down in the chair where I was before. The babies were also, thank goodness, sleeping peacefully.

A moment passed, and I just stared at Padme's sleeping form, totally content with just that. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to stay here for a day, after all?

I looked at Obi-Wan, suddenly curious.

"You said this was a family heirloom? Where did your family get Echani robes…?" I asked, feeling as if there was something I didn't know. My Master only smiled.

"What, you didn't know? My great grandfather was an Echani warrior." He informed me.

My eyes went wide. All of those years spent training under him, and it never clicked—Why did Master train in, not only lightsaber combat, but Echani hand-to-hand as well? I thought it was just one of those 'it's something all Jedi should know' things! And all this time, Obi-Wan had Echani ties in his family!

And Obi-Wan didn't teach me just any old Saber style, he taught me his own, which was not just swordplay, but involved a lot of physical blows, like kicks and punches when you have a free limb and an opening. It was one of the reasons he was made a Master, perfecting this style.

He called it Echaru, because it was a combination of Echani fighting and the Ataru style.

I suppose I should inform you; the Echani are a race of powerful hand-to-hand fighters who live mostly in cold climates. They appear human outwardly, only their skin is much paler, and their hair is most always snow white…

Something else donned upon me.

"No wonder you have white hairs at such a young age!" I exclaimed, making Obi-Wan look at me in sheer insult, and hiss for me to be quiet.

One of the babies stirred, and nearly woke up, and I slapped my hand on my mouth quickly.

"And yes, young one, THAT is why I have white hairs, not because I'm old, but because I am 1/8th Echani…" He said, seeming somewhat irritated still. I fake pouted at him, though there was a grin underneath it.

"How come you never tell me these things, Master?"

He only glared at me. "Because I know how you'll react, and I don't like it."

"Aw, I love you too, Master." I teased him. He only scoffed at me, though I know he was smiling underneath.

A moment passed.

"By the way, Master, what happened to my lightsaber?"


End file.
